A substantial market has developed in recent years for inexpensively manufactured, individually encoded, transaction cards for uses such as credit and debit cards, membership cards, promotional cards (i.e. frequent flyer cards), I.D. cards, and the like. Such transaction cards commonly bear a registration code in a bar code format to permit automatic machine scanning of the card, an alphanumeric code, or both. Such cards may be supplied as a set with one or more labels adjoining the card and bearing the same individual code number as the card. The labels are adapted for attachment to application forms, membership lists and the like.
One problem with the above system is that the manufacturing process to provide such sets takes many steps. For example, one process known in the art is a multiple step process in which individual sheets of uniquely encoded transaction cards, and labels with the same unique codes as the cards, are printed separately. Subsequently the labels with appropriate codes are attached to each sheet adjoining the like-coded cards. Thus, the process requires several labor intensive steps including identifying the appropriate label, applying the label to the sheet to properly adjoin the associated card, and checking the final product for accuracy. In addition, because the transaction card and labels must be printed separately, if the same printer is used to print the transaction card and the labels, more printing time is required. Alternatively, several printers must be used to simultaneously print the cards and labels.
Still another manufacturing process known in the art is attaching the card and label to the application form prior to printing of the card or the label, thus requiring the carrier with the card and label attached to be passed through a printer to provide the set of the carrier, the card and the label. A problem with this method of manufacturing is that an additional printing step is required after the card and label have been attached to the pre-printed application form. In addition, there are additional costs associated with attaching the label and card to the application form.
Warther et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,146) disclosed a sheet including a plurality of sets of code fields printed on a first planar side of the sheet, each set of code fields being printed with a numeric code unique to the set. A first field is printed in at least a bar code format, and a second field is printed in at least a numeral format and is spaced from the first code field on the first planar side of the sheet. A layer of adhesive is applied to at least part of a second planar side of the sheet opposite the second code fields printed on the first side of the sheet. The sheet is scored to define a plurality of sets of elements removable from the sheet, including a first element bearing the first code field and a second element bearing the second code field. The first element of each set of removable element is generally a transaction card sized element bearing a static graphic field on at least one of the planar sides of the sheet and the first code field. The second element of each set bears the second code field of each set on the first planar side of the element and a pressure sensitive adhesive along the second planar side of the sheet.
A problem with the system disclosed by Warther et al. is the thickness of the transaction card element and the second element with the peel-off double stick adhesive backing, in that both elements are extremely heavy. In addition, the product is cumbersome to use in that the elements must be separated from the sheet product and the double stick adhesive backing must be peeled away from the second element of the set and attached to the proper form. Further, because there exist a number of sets of transaction cards and second elements per sheet, there is still a question of guaranteed number match between the transaction card and the second element which requires the code of the second element to be checked for the same number as a transaction card before attachment to the form.
Kwiatek (U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,610) disclosed a continuous sheet substrate including a series of consecutive panels that are separable from one another along a horizontal score line positioned between the panels. Each of the panels includes a laminated area covering a minor portion of the panel, each laminated area including a layer of release coating material adhered to a portion of the panel, a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive material adhered to a portion of the layer of release coating material, and a thin laminated sheet component adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer and held to the panel by the pressure sensitive adhesive. The panel is also provided with score lines to allow the thin laminated sheet component, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer, the release coating layer and the minor portion of the panel to be removed from the remainder of panel as an integral laminate unit, wherein the minor portion of the panel functions as a releasable liner for the laminate unit. The releasable liner, when removed, exposes the pressure sensitive adhesive attached to the thin laminated sheet component, allowing adhesion of the thin laminated sheet component to another object.
The sheet substrate can be an imprinted business form and the laminated sheet component can be a card. However, a problem with this system of providing a set of a business form and a laminated card is that there is no label for attachment to the business form. Thus, completion of a registration form requires manually writing the serial number on the card to the appropriate space on the business form. Additional problems with the above system are that the manufacturing process includes the cost of an additional printing step of printing the card and form with the card attached, the cost of mounting the thin laminated card to the sheet substrate, and additional processing costs associated with processing the sheet substrate. In addition, the card attached to the sheet product is only a thin temporary card.
A problem with registering a holder of a transaction card and label set produced by any of the above prior art systems is that registration is a cumbersome process. Normally, the registrant must go to the store offering the transaction card, fill out the application form and either manually write in the identification number on the card or separate a label from a set of cards and labels and peel off a release layer to expose an adhesive backing and affix the label to the form. In addition, with these systems there is still a possibility of error in not matching the number on the form to the number on the card.
An alternative to the above-identified transaction card systems is a normal credit card issuing system, wherein a pre-approved application form is transmitted to a targeted group of the population. A person receiving the pre-approved registration form must complete the registration form and return it to the promoter. Thus, registration of a holder of the credit card is a multi-step and a lengthy process. For example, after mailing the pre-approved registration form, the potential card holder must wait for a confirmation letter and the credit card to mailed by the promoter. Also, the process is wasteful in that only a small percentage of the pre-approved registration forms are returned, the rest being discarded.
It has also been the practice in recent years to provide redeemable coupons via mass mailing or news carrier services. The purpose of these redeemable coupons is typically to promote a product and increase sales. The coupons are typically clipped by the targeted population and returned to the promoter for redemption. A problem with this method of offering discounts to potential customers is that the promoter, upon receiving the redeemed coupon, has no way of matching up each sale to the coupon which has been redeemed. For example, the promoter typically places the coupon in a cash drawer and reduces the price of the goods by the coupon value. In addition, the promoter may have a discrepancy between the cash collected and the number of transactions recorded resulting from difficulties in accounting for the coupons redeemed.
There has also developed a market for redemption cards, printed with static graphic field on a first planar side of the redemption card and with a plurality of numbers on a second planar side of the redemption card. The redemption card is used as a redemption item where the numbers on the second planar side of the credit card are removed each time a selected restaurant or establishment is visited, or a discount is given by the promoter of the card, and the like. The numbers are typically removed either by scratching off the number, erasing the number with an acetate pen, or by punching a hole through the number and the card. A problem with such prior art cards is that a utensil is needed to implement eliminating the number from the back of the card. In addition, some of the methods promote destruction of the card.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to solving the problem of the lengthy and multiple step process associated with registration of holders of cards provided by the prior art systems by providing a method and apparatus for instantly registering a holder of such cards.
In addition, the present invention is directed to solving the problem of the costs of producing the multiple element sets of cards, labels and application forms by providing a method of reducing the number of steps and the costs associated with producing the set.
Further, the present invention is directed to solving the problem of collecting redeemed coupons and associating the redeemed coupon with a particular sale by providing a method and apparatus for making such association.
In addition, the present invention is directed to solving the problem associated with removing numbers from the prior art redemption cards with the numbers printed on a back side thereof by providing a method and apparatus for easily removing the numbers.